Shipping containers



Feb. 28, 1956 A. c. MOORE 2,736,483

SHIPPING CONTAINERS Filed March 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

00000 00000 INVENTOR:

\\ ARTHUR C. MOORE ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 28, 1956 A, c. MOORE' 2,736,483

SHIPPING CONTAINERS Filed March 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG, 4.

O O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O f6 53 O- O O O I o o o o o o 0 0/6? 0 o a5 oo o o o o o o o o 03 o o I 50 o o o o o o o o o o o o o l o O o o o o O75 O N /a o O O o o O 0 0 o 0 o 0 o o o o o o o o o 0 J2 /5-- o o o o oo o o o o o o o o INVENTOR'.

ARTHUR C. MOORE ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 2,736,483 SHIPPING CONTAINERS Arthur C. Moore,Terre Haute, I nkl., assignor to Highland Box 'Co., Highland, 111., acorporation of Delaware Application March 16, 1950, Serial No. 149,939 8Claims. (Cl. 229'-6) This invention relates generally to paperboardcontainers, and particularly to containers for shipping baby chicks.

Baby chick shipping containers have heretofore been manufactured in avariety of forms, consisting essentially of a ventilated paper box,divided by partitions into compartments (of size suflicient toaccommodate twenty-five baby chicks), and having a ventilated lid withsome means for maintaining a spaced relation between a givenbox andanother which may be superimposed uponit. Heretofore the partitionswhich divide the boxinto compartments have been formed as separateelements, and appropriately fastened to the side and end walls of thechick box; but in shipping and handling, the weight of the cargo imposesa strain on the bottom of the box, slightly separating it from the loweredge of the partition,-so that frequently the toes of the chick arecaught and pinched between the partition and the'bottom, andthe foot ofthe chick permanently damaged.

Chick boxes are conventionally delivered to the hatcheryman inknocked-down condition, and are assembled or set up by the hatcherymanas needed. The knockedclown condition enables the shipper, thetransporter, and the storer to effect a very substantial saving inspace. Consequently the workers'in the art have endeavored to constructtheir knocked-down chick boxes in a manner such that a flat blank may,with the minimum of effort and-tedium, be converted into a suitable box.In setting up the chick box from the flat blank, staples aresometiines'employed to connect the-severalparts in their setup relation,while in other'cases, stapleless boxes are provided by appropriatelyforming'the flaps so as to interlock with each other and retain the boxin set-up condition, with sufiicient 'rigidit'y' to withstand the rigorsof travel and'handling While laden. Stapleless boxes, as heretoforeprovided, have been found objectionable'bysome hatcherymen,howeven-because'the arran ement of interlocking 'flaps-i'sless'positivethanstaple's, 'and'the corner structure's areinherently weak.

The object of the present invention, generally stated,

'is'to 'provide a chick box which overcomes the'difiiciilties "andobjections above indicated.

Another'object of theinve'ntion is toprovide a chick "box wherein toepinching of the chicks will be rninimized.

A further object of the inventionis tolprovide a chick box "which may bereadily 's'etup 'and secured in set-up position, without the use ofstaples 'or other extrinsic faste'nin'g means.

Other objects will become apparent-to those skilled in the art when thefollowing descriptionis-readin connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in "which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a chick *box, constructed inaccordance withone em'bodiment of'theinvention;

Figure 2 'is a lperspective'view of the lid-for thebox showninFigure 1;

"ice

2 for use in four-compartment chickboxes, such'as shown in Figure l; I

Figure 4 is a plan view of abl'an'k, cut andscored to provide thebottom, the side walls, theend walls, and the central partition of thechick box shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a blank, corresponding in general to thatshown in Figure"'4, but constructed and arranged to produce a staplelessbox; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one corner section of a box utilizingthe blank shown in Figure '5.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the bottom andthecentralpartitionofa chick box are integral, being formed from aunitary blank of paperboard cut and folded double," so'that the-line offold constitutes the upper extremity of the partition members, theadjacent material constitutes the body of the partition members, andtherebey'ond the material is folded at right angles to providehalf-bottoms on each side of the central partition. Preferably theblank'is of suflicient extent, laterally and longitudinally, that,beyond the halfbottoms, the side walls and end walls may also beintegral with the bottom and central partition.

A particular feature of the invention resides in the construction of thepartition from two plies of corrugated paperboard, folded as aforesaid,so" that the fold line constitutes the upper extremity of'the partitionmembers, but cut at said fold line, so as to expose the ends of thecorrugated layer. Ineifectin'gsuch cut of the usual sheet of corrugatedpaperboard (which consists of a corrugated layer, adhered between twofiat liners), the outside liner and the corrugated layer are severedalong the line of fold, but the inside liner is left intact. Thus thetwo-ply partition is secured togetherat the upper edge by the intactinside liner, but there is'no crushing of'the corrugations when the foldis'rnade, and consequently their full strength is preserved. Moreover,the exposure of the ends of the corrugations at the upper edge of thepartition'provides a desirable-friction surface, which retards slippagebetween two superimposed boxes. A partition member of the characterdescribed'is of substantial advantage, even in boxes where the partitionis not integral with the bottom.

Chick boxes ofthe general character just described may be secured inset-up position either by means of staples, or by the provision ofinterlocking flaps, 'or otherwise, as desired. The invention furthercontemplates a stapleless corner construction wherein the end walls andside Walls are integral with the bottom, and provided with interlockingflaps and apertures which not only secure "the box in assembledposition, but also rigidity the corners, which are subject to much abusein handling. The corner construction contemplated by this invention isof advantage not only 'with boxes'whereinthe central partition isintegral with the bottom, but-also with the conventional separablepartition boxes.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a "lid, arranged tocooperate with upstanding-parts of the partitions, which extend throughthe lid'and are interlocked with 'the lid, without the use of extrinsicfastening means.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2,-and '4 for an'illustrative embodiment ofthe invention, a single blank of corrugated paperboard is cutand-scored, as shown in Figure 4, to provide an integral double centralpartition, the bottom, the end walls, and the side walls of the box. Thebank is shown in Figure 4, and includes central partition sections 1 and2 half bottom sections 3 and 4, and side Wall sections 5 and 6. Each ofthe sections 1 too inclusive is providedwithfl'aps at each end thereof,which, when folded and connected constitute the end walls arid corners,remit: section 1 th naps 11, seen-on z'with-fiaps '12, section 3"w'ithflaps 13,"section'4 with flaps 14, section with flaps 15, and section 6with flaps 16.

Between sections 1 and 2, the blank is centrally folded along line 17.In order to facilitate the central folding and eliminate crushing of thecorrugations, the fold line 17 is formed by cutting the sheet ofmaterial incompletely through, i. e., through the outside liner and thecorrugated layer, but not through the inside liner. Thus, when the blankis folded double along line 17, the corrugations 18 are exposed endwise,as clearly shown in Figure 1, at the upper edge of the partition.

In the embodiment shown, the partition sections 1 and 2 extendsubstantially above the top line defined by the end walls and sidewalls, so as to provide spacing members disposed above the plane of thelid, which will seat upon said top line. In order to provide suchspacing members, the blank shown in Figure 4 has a central cutout, asshown at 19, and the fold line 17 is foreshortened at each end by acutout 20. With the construction just described, a lid of any suitableconstruction, such as that shown in Figure 2, may be provided withapertures 21 proportioned to pass over that portion of the centralpartition which projects above the top line of the side and end walls,so that the lid is seated upon the upper edges of the side and end wallsand the portions of the partition members which are defined by thecutouts 19 and 20.

In setting up the box from the blank shown in Figure 4, the blank isfirst folded double along line 17, so that sections 1 and 2 are paralleland contiguous. The bottom sections 3 and 4 are then bent at rightangles to sections 1 and 2 respectively, so as to extend in oppositedirections from the contiguous sections 1 and 2. Sections 5 and 6 arethen turned upwardly at right angles to sections 3 and 4. Flaps 11, 13,and are turned at right angles to their respective body sections, andsecured together, as by stapling. Likewise, flaps 12, 14, and 16 areturned at right angles to their respective body sections and securedtogether, as by stapling. The sections 1 and 2 are secured together incontiguous relationship, as by staples 22, in order thereby to preventthe sections of the box, on opposite sides of the central partition 1-2,from folding relative to each other. In order to further rigidify thebox against the folding last mentioned, a cross partition may beinterlocked with the opposite side walls. Accordingly, a cross partition23 is provided, and interlocked with side walls 5 and 6. The partition23 may be, and preferably is, formed in like manner to the centralpartition of the box, that is, by incompletely severing a blank ofcorrugated paperboard along a central fold line. Referring to Figure 3,the blank for the cross partition 23 is shown, and consists of twosections, 24 and 25, having a central fold line 26 incompletely cut asabove indicated, and provided with a central cutout 27 and end cutout28, so that, in like manner to the central partition above described,there are portions on the partition 23 which extend above the top lineof the box and expose, at their upper edges, the ends of thecorrugations. In order to interlock the partition 23 with the centralpartition 12 of the box, the partition 23 is provided with a pair ofslots 29 at opposite edges thereof, which, when the blank is folded up,open downwardly to interlock with corresponding slots 30 in sections 1and 2 of the box blank. Each of sections and 26 of the cross partitionblank is provided with a pair of tongues 31, proportioned to passthrough apertures 32 in sidewall sections 5 and 6 and, if desired, bedistorted therebeyond.

To accommodate the upwardly projecting portions of partition 23, the lidis provided with apertures 33. In order to secure the lid againstaccidental displacement, the slots 33 are provided with a pair ofprojections 34, which frictionally engage the vertical sides ofpartition 23 as the lid is applied thereto. In the process of applyingthe lid, the projections 34 bend upwardly, so as to impose a wedgingaction, resisting the removal of the lid. In order to interlock the lidwith the upstanding projections on partitions 1-2, the latter may beundercut, as shown at 35, to accommodate a tongue 36, severed on threesides from the substance of the lid, but left intact along fold line 37.Accordingly, with the tongue 36 arranged as shown, when the lid isapplied over the upstanding projections of the partition members, theflaps 36 are automatically bent upwardly, and when the lid is seatedupon the top edges of the side and end walls, the flap 36 is tucked intothe undercut 35.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6 for a further embodiment of theinvention representing a stapleless con struction, the blank shown inFigure 5 is identical with that shown in Figure 4 insofar as thesections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are concerned, except as hereinafterindicatecl. In this embodiment, however, the sections 3 and 4 have endflaps 53 and 54, respectively, which have integral parts overlapping theadjacent sections 1 and 5 (in the case of flap 53), and 2 6 (in the caseof flap 54). Section 1. is provided at each end thereof with a tongue51, and likewise section 2 with tongue 52. The tongues 51 and 52 aresevered from the adjacent material constituting a part of flaps 53 and54 respectively. Sidewall sections 5 and 6 are, in this em bodiment,provided with short flaps 55 and 56, which latter are overlapped by asubflap 57 having a tongue portion 58, all integral with flap 53. Ifdesired, the flaps 55 and 56 may be provided with a tongue 59, severedon three sides, but left intact along line 69. To receive the tongue 58,section 5 is provided with an aperture 61, and to receive tongue 59,flap 53 is pro-- vided with an aperture 62. In the embodiment shown, itis contemplated that the tongue 58 pass from the outside of the boxthrough aperture 61 to the interior, and then again to the exterior atthe corner, and for the latter purpose, the juncture between section 5and its flap 56, and the juncture between flap 53 and subfiap 57, areprovided with apertures 63 and 64 respectively.

In setting up the box in accordance with this embodiment, the folding ofthe sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 proceeds as in the previousembodiment. The flaps 53 and 54 are then successively folded up, so thatslots 65 and 66 therein respectively pass over tongues 51 and 52 (which,at this time, are contiguous and may be regarded as one). When thetongues 51 and 52 have passed through the slots 65 and 66, the upperextremities of the tongues may be bent endwise to lock them in position.The flaps 55 and 56 on the sidewall members 5 and 6 are next bent atright angles to said sidewall members, so that they lie within flaps 53and 54, respectively, at the corners. In this operation, the tongues 31on the auxiliary partition (if such is provided) are passed throughslots 32 and locked. With the parts in the position just described,

tongue 58 is threaded through slot 61 from the outside to the inside,and tongue 59 is threaded through slot 62 in flap 53 from the inside tothe outside, and locked there. While in the embodiment shown the tongue58 is long enough that, after passing through slot 61, it may be passedon from the inside to the outside through slots 63 and 64, and lockedthere, it will be understood that tongue 58 may be foreshortened so thatit is locked immediately at the inside of the side wall adjacent slot61. While the parts have been described with sidewall flaps 55 and 56 onthe interior, and subflap 57 on the exterior, it will be understood thatthe disposition of the parts may be reversed.

Where desired, the boxes herein disclosed can be provided with anysuitable corner spaced, associated with either the lid or the box body.A suitable spacer associated with the lid is disclosed in the copendingappli cation of Andrew E. Miller, Serial No. 53,241. Alternatively, thecorner spacer may be made integral with the box body by extending theflaps 55 and the adjacent few inches of sidewall downwardly (as shown inFigure 5) for a distance corresponding to the distance between line 17and the horizontal shoulder of cutout 19; the flaps 56 and theiradjacent few inches of sidewall 6 are correspondingly extended upwardly,so as to provide, at each corner, a post of right angular horizontalsection extending above the lid of the box for the same distance thatthe partition members so extend. In lieu of thus extending the flaps 55and 56, or in addition thereto, flaps 57, together with the adjacent fewinches of the end wall, may be correspondingly extended in thehorizontal direction (as seen in Figure 5). In case such corner postsare provided, the lid must be cut out at the corners to accommodate theposts.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art should readilyunderstand the construction, operation, and advantages of the invention,and realize that it accomplishes its objects. While two completeembodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail and referencemade to certain alterations, it is not to be understood that theinvention is limited to the details as specifically described or shown,but that the principles of the invention are applicable at large toknocked-down cartons for any purpose, without departing from theessentials of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A chick box comprising a blank of double-faced corrugated paperboard,said blank being centrally folded upon itself along a line transverse tothe corrugations to form a partition extending integrally the length ofthe box with the corrugations running vertically, a bottom panelextending integrally from each side of said partition the length of thebox, an integral side panel extending vertically from each of saidbottom panels, a pair of integral end panels extending vertically fromeach of said bottom panels, and a second partition member of doublefacedcorrugated paperboard extending transversely of the first partition withits corrugations also running vertically, said partitions having upperportions which project above the upper edges of said side and end panelsto support a second box in spaced relationship.

2. A chick box as set forth in claim 1, wherein said folded upperprojecting portions of said integral partition is partially severedalong the fold line to expose cut ends of the corrugations.

3. A chick box as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second partitioncomprises a sheet of double-faced corrugated paperboard folded centrallyupon itself along a line transverse to the direction of corrugations andpartially severed along the fold to expose cut ends of the corrugationsat the folded upper projecting portions thereof.

4. A chick box as set forth in claim 1, wherein said end panels areflaps extending from the bottom panels on opposite sides of the integralpartition, said flaps overlapping each other at the end of the integralpartition and having aligned apertures opposite the ends thereof, saidintegral partition being provided with tongues at its ends which engagewithin said aligned apertures to connect the end Wall flaps together.

5. A chick box as set forth in claim 1, wherein each end panel isprovided with a corner flap overlying a side panel and having a terminaltongue engaged in the side panel, and wherein each side panel has acorner flap overlying an end panel.

6. A chick box as set forth in claim 5, wherein the corner flapsprojecting from the side panels also have tongues engaged respectivelyin the end panels.

7. A chick box as set forth in claim 5, wherein each of said terminaltongues is engaged in the side panel, the side comer flap, and the endpanel.

8. A chick box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the folded upperprojecting portions of said integral partition are undercut along a linecoplanar with the upper edges of said side and end panels, and furtherincluding a lid having apertures shaped to fit over said upperprojecting portions of both partitions, said lid having an integral tabadjacent an end of two of said apertures, and said tab being movableinto and out of said undercut to lock the lid upon the box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,476,750 Casey Dec. 11, 1923 1,994,318 Loth Mar. 12, 1935 2,046,485Ringler July 7, 1936 2,077,588 Schaefer Apr. 20, 1937 2,155,450Shoemaker Apr. 25, 1939 2,322,239 Kramer June 22, 1943 2,427,397Ferguson Sept. 16, 1947 2,494,730 Thursby Jan. 17, 1950 2,527,221 HuyeOct. 24, 1950 2,536,384 Meller Ian. 2, 1951 2,565,053 Stenger Aug. 21,1951

